Important note: The information display here is intended for educational purposes and is for general

treatment orientation. It is not intended, nor should it be interpreted, as medical advice or medical
instructions or to replace your doctor’s advice. You are advised to consult your own medical doctor(s)
for all matters involving your health and medical care.

Thyroid Cancer

While the most common thyroid cancers are usually treatable if found early, some types and variants
are often aggressive and difficult to treat. And, unlike many other cancers, the mortality rate for
thyroid cancer has increased in recent years.

People of all ages, from infants through seniors, can be diagnosed with thyroid cancer. In addition,
patients need lifelong daily medication and periodic testing following treatment. The expenses can be
high, and treatments may have side effects that impact the patient’s quality of life.

Here are some basic information regarding facts about thyroid cancer: 1,2,3

 The thyroid gland is in the front part of the neck, below the thyroid cartilage (Adam’s apple).
In most people, the thyroid cannot be seen or felt. It is shaped like a butterfly, with 2 lobes —
the right lobe and the left lobe — joined by a narrow piece of gland called the isthmus (see
picture below).

 Changes in the thyroid gland’s size and shape can often be felt or even seen by patients or by
their doctor.
 Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine cancer.
 Thyroid cancer is a malignant tumor or growth originating within the thyroid gland. It is also
called thyroid carcinoma.
 Thyroid cancer is one of the few cancers that has increased in incidence over recent years.
The American Cancer Society’s most recent estimates for thyroid cancer in the United States
for 2022 are about 43,800 new cases of thyroid cancer (11,860 in men and 31,940 in women);
 and about 2,230 deaths from thyroid cancer (1,070 men and 1,160 women). The death rate for
thyroid cancer increased slightly from 2009 to 2018 (0.6% per year) but appears to have
stabilized in recent years.
 Thyroid cancer occurs in all age groups, from young children through seniors. About 2 of
every 3 people diagnosed with thyroid cancer are between ages 20 and 55. Thyroid cancer is
commonly diagnosed at a younger age than most other adult cancers.
 Thyroid cancer is 3 times more common in women than in men. More than 7 of 10 people
diagnosed with thyroid cancer are female.
 The cause of most thyroid cancer is unknown.
 People have a higher chance of getting thyroid cancer if they were exposed to large amounts
of radiation during childhood, or received radiation treatment for medical problems in the
head and neck area at a young age. The cancer may not occur until 20 years or more after the
radiation exposure. However, most people with such exposure do not get thyroid cancer, and
most people with thyroid cancer did not have such exposure.
 The prognosis for any individual with thyroid cancer depends on several factors. These
include the type of thyroid cancer, the tumor size, whether the disease has spread
(metastasized) to other parts of the body (especially distant sites), and the patients’ age at the
time of diagnosis.
 Thyroid cancer is usually highly treatable when found early.

References:
1. Carling T, Udelsman R: Thyroid tumors. In: DeVita VT Jr, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA:
Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. 9th ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins,
2011, pp 1457-72
2. Gharib H, Papini E, Paschke R, Duick DS, Valcavi R, Hegedüs L, Vitti P;
AACE/AME/ETA Task Force on Thyroid Nodules. American Association of Clinical
Endocrinologists, Associazione Medici Endocrinologi, and European Thyroid
Association Medical Guidelines for Clinical Practice for the Diagnosis and Management
of Thyroid Nodules. Endocr Pract. 2010 May-Jun;16 Suppl 1:1-43.
3. Olson E, Wintheiser G, Wolfe KM, Droessler J, Silberstein PT. Epidemiology of Thyroid
Cancer: A Review of the National Cancer Database, 2000-2013. Cureus.
2019;11(2):e4127. Published 2019 Feb 24. doi:10.7759/cureus.4127